


Making A Good Impression

by Jestana



Series: Gender Changing Dwarves [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changing, F/M, Genderchanging Dwarves, fem!Dwalin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-15
Updated: 2014-01-15
Packaged: 2018-01-08 21:12:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1137450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ori wants to impress Dwalin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Making A Good Impression

**Author's Note:**

> My sister asked if anyone had written gender-changing Dwarves. That planted a seed in my head and resulted in several pages of headcanon. I found gifs of Adam Brown knocking James Nesbitt over during the Dwarf Boot Camp (with help from my sister) and she commented that she'd love to see a fic where Ori does that to Bofur. Between that and my wish to write Dwalin/Ori, this fic was born. For the record, my sister is an evol, evol enabler. No beta.

"Are you sure you want to do this, lad?"

"I only survived the battle because my brothers protected me. They won't always be there to do that. I _need_ to learn this!"

"All right, all right. Untangle your beard."

"Sorry. This is just really important to me."

"I get it. Ye can't rely on a slingshot all your life, can ye?"

"Not if I want to actually _live_ , no."

"I'll help ye, don't worry."

"Thanks, Bofur."

"You're welcome, Ori."

* * *

Ori hefted the unfamiliar weight of the practice sword uncertainly, looking at Bofur. "Just come at you? That's it? You're not going to show me anything?"

"I need to know what _ye_ know before I can teach ye what ye _don't_ know, aye?" The other dwarf cocked his head at Ori with a grin.

Ori flexed his hands on the hilt of the practice sword. "That makes sense, of a sort."

"Good. Now give it yer best shot." Bofur lifted his own practice sword into position and gave an encouraging nod.

"All right, but remember, you asked me to." He took a deep breath and charged forward.

Somehow, he managed to knock Bofur onto his back. "What were ye tryin' to do to me?!"

"I'm so sorry! You're not terribly hurt, are you?" Ori dropped to his knees beside him, trying to see if anything was wrong.

Bofur pulled himself into a sitting position. "No, just had my breath knocked of me."

"What are you lads doing?" Dwalin's voice sounded different to Ori and his breath caught in his throat when he caught sight of her. She'd clearly been to the Chamber of Change and she looked wonderful to him.

Next to him, Bofur pulled himself to his feet. "Just a wee bit of practice here, Dwalin."

"I asked Bofur to help me," Ori added, scrambling to his feet as well.

When Dwalin approached, it was clear that she hadn't shrunk in height at all. She picked up the swords they'd been using and grunted in approval when she found them blunted. "Try not to hurt yourselves too much. The healers have enough work tending to the injuries from the battle. Don't need to add to it, do we?"

"No, S--Ma'am." Ori cringed inwardly at his slip. He'd become so used to Dwalin being male that the Change was a bit distracting.

Her moustache twitched, but the was the only reaction she showed. "Good. Carry on."

She handed their swords back to them and left. Ori couldn't help admiring the rear view, which was just as fantastic now as it'd been before her Change. He blinked when Bofur elbowed him in the ribs. "I see now what's really goin' on here."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He examined his practice sword, checking that there weren't any nicks on it.

"I have eyes, ye know." Bofur sounded indignant. "Ye want to impress Dwalin, don't ye?"

Ori shrugged, refusing to look at him. "So what if I do? Can't hurt to try, can it?"

"Actually, it can." He glanced at Bofur to see him rubbing his arse meaningfully.

He rolled his eyes. "I said sorry."

"I know, but let me ask ye this: how well do ye know Dwalin, Child of Fundin?" Bofur rested his sword on his shoulder.

He shrugged again as he picked at one of his gloves. The knitting was starting to unravel. "I know she's the biggest, strongest Dwarf I've ever seen. She used to work as a guard for caravans when she wasn't at Ered Luin."

"Exactly." Bofur clapped his shoulder. "Biggest and strongest, and every suitor she's had, male or female, tried to prove themselves to her by being bigger and stronger. It never worked. Partly because they never _were_ bigger or stronger and partly because that sort of thing doesn't impress her anyway."

Ori stared at Bofur, hardly believing that he was getting courting advice from him of all people. "What do you think _would_ impress her?"

"That I don't know." He squeezed Ori's shoulder comfortingly. "Ye'll have to figure that out on yer own."

He nodded, biting his lip nervously. What else could he do to prove himself to her?

* * *

"Ori? Are you here?" Dwalin's voice nearly made him topple off the ladder he was perched on.

Holding tight to it, he called back down. "I'm up here. Just give me a moment."

"Do you need a hand?" she asked, moving closer as he started clambering down.

Just as he opened his mouth to tell her he'd be fine, his boot slipped on one of the rungs and he lost his balance. Much to his embarrassment, Dwalin caught him, cradling him against her bosom until he could find his feet. He blushed deeply, unable to meet her eyes. "Sorry about that."

"Who made this ladder?" she asked instead, giving a good shake.

Ori shrugged. "I don't know. Bilbo found it and we've been using it to get to the top shelves."

"Should have asked to have a new one made." Dwalin shook her head. "This one could fall to pieces on you two any moment."

"It hasn't so far," he couldn't resist pointing out.

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Do _you_ want be the one to tell Thorin that her soon-to-be husband fell and hurt himself because neither of you thought to have a new ladder made?"

"No." Ori hunched his shoulders up towards his ears, guilt twisting in his stomach. He hadn't thought of that!

He nearly jumped out of his skin when a big, warm hand rested on one of his shoulders. "Cheer up, lad. No one's gotten hurt yet. Just don't let Bilbo use that ladder until a new one can be made, all right?"

"All right." He nodded and slowly looked up to see that Dwalin was smiling behind her beard.

She squeezed his shoulder and dropped her hand. "So, your note said you wanted to see me about something?"

"Note?" Ori blinked, and then remembered the note he'd written and sent to her before his courage failed him. "Oh, yes! Wait right there." He dashed into his office off the library and rummaged through the papers on his desk.

He finally found the hastily wrapped package and returned to the library to find Dwalin examining the ladder more closely. She looked up at his return. "Did you know that this ladder is supposed to move?"

"Yes, there's a track in the floor and on the bookcases, but some of it's missing, so that doesn't do us much good." Ori shrugged and waited as Dwalin straightened up to her full height, dusting off her hands. He held out the gift when she'd done so. "This is for you."

Dwalin looked surprised and hesitated a moment before accepting the gift and opening it. Inside was a cap Ori had knitted with the last of the extra yarn he'd managed to keep throughout the entire journey. She stared down at it for so long that his heart began to sink. That's when she looked at him. "Laddie, is this a courting gift?"

"If you want it to be." He resisted the impulse to wring his hands together. "I know I'm not as strong or big as you, but--"

She held up hand to stop him, and then produced a package from inside her tunic. "Open this."

"A-all right." He inwardly cursed as he fumbled with the wrapping. When he finally managed to unwrap it, his heart nearly stopped in his chest. A set of knitting needles carefully tucked into a waterproof leather case gleamed up at him in the lantern light, each carefully forged and etched with runes. He looked up Dwalin with wide eyes. "Are _these_ a courting gift?"

Dwalin nodded, looking uncertain for the first time that he could remember. "You don't have to be big or strong to impress me. You did it by coming on this quest, showing your bravery and determination over and over again. That's what I like most about you."

Ori's cheeks felt like a forge had been lit in each of them. "You don't mind that I'm smaller and weaker than almost everyone else except for Bilbo?"

"I dare you to call him small and weak to his face." A mischievous smile quirked Dwalin's mouth. Ori rather liked it on her.

He rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. I'm not exactly a warrior."

"If I'd wanted a warrior, I'd have accepted one of the suit I had over the years." She shrugged her massive shoulders dismissively. "You may not be a warrior, but you're a fierce fighter when you have to be and that's what truly counts." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Are _you_ sure you want an old grizzled warrior like _me_? Scarred and gruff?"

He nodded quickly. "Yes! I like you the way you are: so big and strong, but I've seen you with the Dwarflings in Ered Luin and with the Human children in Lake Town. You were so patient and gentle with them. There's more to you than the warrior that others see and I like that."

"Do you accept my gift, then?" Dwalin actually looked nervous!

He nodded, hugging the case of needles close to his chest. "I do. What about mine?"

"Of course. Just the thing I needed to keep my head warm while I'm on patrol." She tugged the cap onto her head and smiled at him.

Smiling back, he edged just a little closer, asking hopefully. "May I kiss you?"

Dwalin tugged him even closer and kissed him instead. After a moment of surprise, Ori melted into the kiss with a sigh, sliding his arms around her broad shoulders. This was far more than he'd ever hoped for!


End file.
